Book Review: Panda Kindergarten

The Horn Book Magazine

Joanne Ryder Panda Kindergarten; illus. with photos by Katherine Feng 32 pp. Collins/HarperCollins 7/09 isbn 978-0-06-057850-3 $17.99

(Preschool, Primary)

The compelling photographs of pandas taken at China's Wolong Nature Reserve are sure to elicit an "Awwww!" from the four- to eight-year olds who are this book's intended authence. With an interesting story plus a fair amount of information, this would make an excellent readaloud. The narrative follows a panda cub from birth to adulthood at the reserve. "Panda kindergarten" refers to the group of pandas who play together once they are old enough to leave their mothers. Children will love the photos of pandas: on a seesaw, hanging from a branch upside down, chomping on a long piece of bamboo. More information about the Wolong Nature Reserve - what its history is, what exactly its purpose is, and what happens to the pandas when they are grown - would have been helpful, but the only material provided at the back is eight "Fast Facts" about pandas. However, this book presents an engaging way to begin to learn about pandas and will be a sure hit at story time.

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